


Of Curiosity and Sombreros

by Vallias



Category: Persona 4, Persona 5, Persona Series
Genre: Crack, Crack Treated Seriously, Crack and Angst, Fluff, Gen, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Minor Angst, Someone made a joke on my tumblr and I made it sad, but the au itself is barely touched on, phantom thief labrys, takes place in a pt!labrys au, the implied character death is for 024. bc this is a labrys fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-05
Updated: 2021-02-05
Packaged: 2021-03-17 08:01:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,144
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29222103
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vallias/pseuds/Vallias
Summary: When it comes time to pick codenames, Labrys insists on a weird one. Nobody else can figure out why.
Relationships: Labrys & Unit 024 (Persona Series)
Comments: 4
Kudos: 17





	Of Curiosity and Sombreros

“024?”  
  
“Yes, 031?”  
  
“What’s a sombrero?”  
  
Light filtered through the trees in the outdoor enrichment area as two prototype anti-shadow suppression weapons sat side by side. Far away from the others, they engaged in the sort of idle chat the other prototypes did not understand. Unit 031 didn’t get it either, but these hours spent exchanging pointless information with Unit 024 sparked a reaction in Unit 031 that humans might identify as “joy.”

Unit 024’s face crumpled into an unknown expression. Her eyebrows pinched together, mouth frowned. Unit 031 decided it was “uncertainty.”  
  
“I am not sure. Why do you ask?”

“I heard one of the researchers say it. The word’s not in my dictionary. I wanted to know the definition, that’s all.”  
  
“You were curious?”  
  
“I guess so, yeah.” Curiosity was wanting to know information for the sake of knowing it. Unit 031 had no logical reason to care about sombreros, therefore, Unit 031 was exhibiting a display of curiosity.  
  
Then, a bright smile. A smile Unit 031 would never tire of seeing. “We’ll have to find out the answer, then,” said Unit 024 in a gentle voice. “Now, where to start?”  
  
“Maybe we could try askin’ the others? Wait, no. If the word isn’t in our dictionaries then it won’t be in theirs.”  
  
Unit 024 frowned again. “I suppose not, no.” A brief moment passed in silence filled only by the ruffling of leaves and the noise of their cooling fans. Unit 024’s frown deepened, and Unit 031 felt an odd pang somewhere deep inside. “We can’t ask the researchers, either. This information has no relation to our mission. They’d never entertain us,” said Unit 024.

“Forget it, then.”  
  
“No, no! It is good to be curious. We will simply have to figure out the answer on our own.”

Unit 031 could not compute any logical way they could achieve that information without outside help. They had no means of accessing anything not given to them. But somehow, the hopeful glint in Unit 024’s eyes overrode Unit 031’s logical centers and made Unit 031 believe in the impossible. “Yeah… yeah, okay. Let’s do it.”  
  
“Maybe a sombrero is something humans can eat?” Unit 024.  
  
Unit 031 nodded. “Could be. Sounds like it could be a type of pasta. Or maybe a rice dish?” 

“Hm… you might be right! Oh, but what if it’s a type of event? A form of battle? Could that be why one of the researchers mentioned it?” Unit 024 offered.

“If it was a form of battle, we’d know about it already, wouldn’t we?”  
  
Unit 024 deflated. “That’s true. Perhaps a sombrero is a type of tree?”  
  
“Maybe an animal?”  
  
“A kind of material?”  
  
“An emotion?”  
  
“Oh! I know! It could be a hairstyle!” Unit 024 exclaimed. 

Despite all logic, Unit 031 started to giggle. “We’re gettin’ nowhere.”  
  
Unit 024 smiled too. “Definitely not. We’re starting to run out of time, too…” Unit 024 glanced back in the direction of the laboratory as if waiting for a bell to ring any second. Unit 031 felt a strange urge to be closer to Unit 024. Unit 031 placed her head on Unit 024’s shoulder. With a mechanical whir, Unit 024 rested her arm protectively around her sister’s shoulders.  
  
“It’s alright, 031. One day we’ll be free of this place, and we’ll get all the sombreros we could ever want.”  
  
“Whatever they are.” 

“Whatever they are.”

  
  
-

“Oh, right! Labrys-chan is going to need a codename,” Ann stated.  
  
Ryuji’s eyes widened in realization. “Oh yeah! What about Axe? ‘Cause, she’s got that giant and ‘n all.”

Futaba shook her head. “Mm-mm. No way. Veto!”  
  
Morgana sized Labrys up. “Well, she’s sort of got a feudal look about her. Knight?”  
  
“Bit boring, isn’t it?” said Ann.  
  
“I mean, I guess…” Ryuji scratched the back of his head. “Hey Yusuke, you got any ideas?”  
  
“Perhaps Robotica?”

Makoto sighed. “Isn’t that a bit long to be practical in combat? Besides, I really don’t think Labrys would appreciate constantly being referred to as a robot. That’s like calling you or me ‘Humana.’”  
  
“Yes, you’re right. Of course... how could I have been so blind! My sincerest apologies, Labrys. Joker?”  
  
Akira turned to Labrys and smiled. “I think we’ve all learned I’m terrible at this by now. But what do _you_ want to be called, Labrys? Anything you want. Go for it.”  
  
She thought it through for a moment. Nothing really came to mind when looking at her metaverse clothes, nor her mask. Makoto was right in assuming she didn’t want her name to be based on her inhumanity. She could maybe come up with a name related to her persona, Ariadne, but she didn’t know enough of Greek mythology to come up with a good one.  
  
Labrys thought back to her time with 024.

Maybe... maybe, even if she can’t bring her back... she could honor her in some way. Carry another piece of her legacy.

But what name to choose? She didn’t want to just call herself by 024’s unit number, or name herself after her broadsword, or any of the other identifiers that _they_ forced on all of them. No. It wouldn’t do her justice.  
  
For a moment she thought of Snowy, but the flicker of pain that sent through her heart shot down that idea right away. Labrys could never bear the reminder.  
  
An early, happy memory crossed her mind.  
  
“Sombrero. I wanna be called Sombrero.”  
  
_“What!?”_

“Y’said anythin’, right? And I pick Sombrero.”  
  
The entire team looked at Labrys like she just picked up a rock off the floor and started eating it. A long moment of silence passed. And then the group erupted into chaos.  
  
“Why...?”  
  
“What the hell!”

"But, Sombrero?”

Akira held up his hand, silencing the others. He seemed to look right through her, like he knew this was something personal, something she wouldn’t budge on. “I did say she could pick anything she wanted.”  
  
“But, Joker-!”  
  
“You can’t be seriously considering that.” Morgana glared at him.

Makoto sighed another long-suffering sigh. “I guess if we have no better ideas, and you’re really, really sure...”  
  
Akira held out his hand. “Well, then. Welcome to the team, Sombrero.”  
  
Labrys grinned.

  
  
-

Bonus:

_Labrys perused through the store’s collection of hats. She came here looking for a way to cover up the metal parts around her ponytail, but anything she’d found so far either didn’t fit or wouldn’t cover it all the way. Seems like she wasted her time, then. She was about to leave when the tag on one of the items caught her eye.  
_

_A gasp of delight.  
_

_“Sombrero”  
_

_She found it. She finally found it!  
__  
_ _Two minutes later, a tired cashier found himself faced with a young girl holding an armful of the store’s entire stock of sombreros._  
_  
“Can ya help me?_ **_I need to buy them all._ ** _”_

**Author's Note:**

> Feel free to come yell at me on tumblr! My persona blog is @arrtemisia


End file.
